Social Democratic domestic affairs experts managed to defend the 'soft' variant, contrary to the demand of representatives of the CDU/CSU bloc for financial punishment amounting to €50,000 and the radical dream of the Bavarian authorities to deport 'evaders' from the country. 'Only those who repeatedly and maliciously hinder their own integration into German society should fear deportation,' says the text of the presented report of the working group 'Improving Integration.' The mere fact of failing final exams is not a reason to fear for one's status, the document emphasizes. It is also noted that penal sanctions will not apply to persons with disabilities.
'Our goal is not punishment, but creating conditions for enhanced integration of foreigners through their attendance of courses,' says member of the working group, SPD Bundestag deputy Rüdiger Veit, who pays special attention to the voluntary nature of participation in educational programs. The very voluntariness that a year ago CDU/CSU domestic affairs experts and ministers of the 'black' states actively called to combat, demanding increased control of migrants by foreigner offices and corresponding marks in personal files. 'Currently 45% of students complete courses with positive grades. We must bring this figure to 75%,' says Parliamentary State Secretary Peter Altmaier, who heads 'Improving Integration.' This body is one of six working groups formed by the government after the so-called 'integration summit' in July last year. The meeting, where 'representatives of the federation and municipalities, trade unions and churches, migrant associations and agencies dealing with migrant affairs came together at one table in direct and open dialogue,' Chancellor Angela Merkel called symbolic then and proposed that her cabinet develop a national action plan, a kind of 'social contract' between the government and the non-indigenous population of Germany. The 'Improving Integration' project is to become an integral part of this national plan, which will be announced at the next 'summit' on July 12.
According to the working group, 250,000 people attended 17,000 various integration courses over the past year. This somewhat contradicts the statistics of the Federal Office for Migration, which states that there were just over 30,000. But statistics are subjective and often do not account for subtleties such as the classification of ethnic German resettlers as foreigners.
Further plans of the working group include increasing the duration of courses (1/20 of which is devoted to studying the history, politics, and culture of Germany, the rest to language) from 600 to 900 hours, reducing class sizes to 25 people, introducing mandatory testing at the beginning and end of the educational process, specialized training for specific target groups (in particular, youth and women), subsequent practice at production sites, expanding the network of preschool institutions to enable young parents to attend courses, and increased material incentives for teachers. It sounds like a fairy tale in which European democracy, after long and bloody battles, courageously overcomes 'parallel worlds' and turns migrant ghettos into blooming gardens of 'real integration.' And a fairy tale told for comfort, knowing that it will never become reality.
Experts are silent about what sources will finance the good intentions of 'Improving Integration.' Most likely, they themselves are not particularly informed on this matter. Currently, the Ministry of the Interior allocates €141 million per year for the implementation of the integration and language courses program – exactly the amount to which this item of federal appropriations was reduced from €208 million after Wolfgang Schäuble became head of the ministry. Now, in the name of 'harmonizing the interests of all ethnic groups living in Germany,' the issue of increasing the Interior Ministry's share of the state budget will be considered during the budget debates for 2008. But by increasing something, something else will have to be cut. For example, in education as such, which implies reducing school teacher positions in favor of raising salaries for teachers working at courses for newcomers. And this, unfortunately, will kill integration at its root, since teaching the German language and the system of European values to the younger generation is still more important than bringing elderly foreigners out of ghettos.
INCIDENTALLY
In March, the Swiss Bundesrat proposed an interesting approach to integration issues. It plans to conclude individual contracts between each migrant and the canton in which he or she resides. The applicant for a permanent visa is obliged to 'take an active part in the economic life of the region,' which at the first stage implies mandatory attendance of educational courses. Under the contract, regional authorities intend to reward 'those who achieve success' with a bonus of 6,000 francs. If a final decision is made in the summer, it will form the basis for amendments to the 'Foreigners Act,' which will take effect in January 2008.
Elena OBODOVSKAYA.
Russkaya Germaniya